Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 3
The Mystery of Lark Quarry
The Case of the Mistaken Dinosaur
Likeallstoriesinpaleontology,thatofLarkQuarry—aworld-famousdinosaurtrack-
site in Queensland, Australia—has a vivid geologic history, beginning during the
Cretaceous Period at about 98 million years ago. The cast of this tale consisted of
more than a hundred dinosaurs, played by:
• One species of a large herbivorous dinosaur (an ornithopod), a mere bit act-
or, with a cameo appearance before the main act.
• Two species of small dinosaurs, one a theropod and the other an ornithopod,
who composed most of the cast.
• The star of the show, a tyrannosaur-sized theropod who makes a grand en-
trance toward its climactic finish.
The story is filled with dramatic flourishes and tells of a tranquil scene shattered by
brutal carnivory in which a quiet Cretaceous lakeshore became a killing ground. The
former lakeshore, though, left no bodies, only tracks. Consequently, we must recon-
structwhathappenedtherebyusingichnology,alittleknowledgeofmodernanimals
and their behavior, and our imaginations. And in the spirit of imagination, I will tell
the story as a stage play, titled
The Mystery of Lark Quarry
, and attended by an audi-
ence of enthusiastic Australians.
The curtain opens, revealing a subtropical lakeshore, and a large ornithopod,
similar to the Australian dinosaur
Muttaburrasaurus langdoni
, emerges from a fog
and lumbers onto the dimly lit stage. His arms are long and nearly touch the ground,
but all of his walking is done with his rear legs. He stops briefly, bellows a low-
frequency, didgeridoo-like moan, turns to the left, and exits, enveloped by the mist.